The Price of a Prank
by OfTheFullMoon
Summary: Sirius never planned for his prank against Snape to have consequences. All he did was send Snape to the Whomping Willow...on the night of a full moon. What could be the harm in teaching the Slytherin an unforgettable lesson?
1. Chapter 1

"He's watching us again." James Potter cast an annoyed glance at his worst enemy at Hogwarts, Severus Snape. "I swear, if that foul git doesn't stop sneaking around, I'm gonna…"

"Relax, mate." James' best friend, Sirius Black leaned back in his chair. "So he's staring. He's just jealous of our innate coolness." He cast a cocky grin at his best friend.

"No, I think it's something else." James frowned at the greasy haired boy across the room, who was momentarily pretending to take no notice of them. "He's up to something. And I'm gonna find out what. And don't pretend it doesn't bother you Sirius. I know it does. Just yesterday you told me that…"

"Mr. Potter! Silence!" Professor McGonagall whispered fiercely, coming up directly behind them. "This is a study hall, not your common room."

"Sorry, Professor."

"And Mr. Black – sit in your chair properly!" She flicked her wand at his chair, causing it to clunk firmly back on all four feet.

"Yes, Professor."

The two grinned at each other and turned back to their parchment, taking no more notice of Snape.

Severus Snape glared at the two friends from behind his book. How he hated the lot of them! Especially Potter! Potter, who was so popular. Potter, the Quidditch king. Potter, who was arrogant enough to assume that Lily Evans would fall for him. Snape's fingers tightened on his book. Well, things were about to change.

He'd noticed for several years that there was something strange about Remus Lupin. His constant disappearances every month were commonly attributed to the illness of his mother, but Snape knew better. He'd watched carefully and had seen that Lupin always disappeared on the night of the full moon. And last month, he had even seen Madam Pomfrey escorting him across the grounds toward the Whomping Willow. Yes, there was something going on, and Snape thought he knew what it was. All he needed was some hard, solid proof. And then he'd see what people thought of Potter and his band. Potter, the prig; Black, the blood traitor; Pettigrew, the coward; and Lupin…Lupin the _monster_…

The thought of finally exposing the Marauders for what they really were kept him smiling to himself for the rest of the period. As soon as the bell rang, he was out of his seat, making sure to head for the door the same time James and Sirius did. He also made sure to slam into James on the way out.

"Watch where you're going, Potter." He sneered. He saw James' face cloud in fury, knowing there was nothing he could do about it while Professor McGonagall was around. Snape smirked and headed down the hallway. Life was looking up.

James and Sirius ran into the other Marauders on their way to their next class. Peter waved at them excitedly, while the more reserved Remus simply smiled cheerfully.

"So, everyone ready for History of Magic?" James asked cheerfully. He got two irritated looks and a nod in response.

Sirius groaned. "We just got out of a relaxing study hall and you have to terrify us with thoughts of boredom? Of course, we could just use this as an opportunity to take another nap…" He grinned at the look of disgust Remus was giving him. "Ok, ok. We'll take notes!"

"You'd better! I'm not letting you copy mine."

The boys continued their banter as they continued down the hallway to their next class. It was James who noticed that Snape was walking a ways behind them, pretending to read a piece of parchment. He nudged Sirius in the ribs.

"Guess who's following us again."

Sirius snuck a peek over his shoulder. "Not again." He groaned. "What is his _problem_?"

"Whose?" Remus glanced at his friends curiously.

"Snivellus."

"Just ignore him."

James and Sirius groaned simultaneously. "That's what you've been saying for the past few _years_, Rem!" James protested.

"He's just trying to annoy us. If he sees that it works, he'll just do keep doing it."

"He's not just being annoying. He's up to something!"

Remus shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not."

Sirius rolled his eyes and heaved open the door to their classroom. "Snivellus is _always_ up to something."

He didn't know how right he was.

"We've got to do something!" James slapped his hand onto the table next to his bed. "I am _sick_ and _tired_ of Snivellus following us everywhere, bumping into us, trying to trip us, and eavesdropping on our conversations! We have to _do_ something!"

"We've done our fair share of pranks on him as well." Peter remarked. "Just last week you jinxed him up in the astronomy tower."

"Yes, but has it stopped him? No." Sirius said. "James is right, Pete. It'll have to be something big to discourage him." He frowned. "I have to admit, he is stubborn."

"Exactly!" James was still speaking at the top of his voice. "So big that it'll permanently keep him away from us! We can't have him…"

"James!"

James stopped and looked at Peter in surprise. Peter motioned towards Remus' bed, where their friend was curled up in a ball with his eyes closed.

"Is he asleep?" James asked in a hushed voice.

"No he's not," came Remus' tired voice. "As if I could with all the noise you lot are making."

James looked embarrassed. "Sorry, Moony."

"It's alright." Remus still hadn't moved or opened his eyes.

Sirius moved to sit on his friend's bed. "You ok?"

"Tired. Full moon's this week."

"It's is, isn't it?" James' face lit up in excitement. "Ok, forget Snivelly for now. What are the plans for this month?"

Remus' mouth turned up in a small smile as he lay on his bed, the others throwing out ideas in anticipation for the coming night, all their worries forgotten.

The night of the full moon approached quickly, and just after sunset Sirius was on his way to meet James and Peter in their room. Remus would have already headed out to the Willow, and in a matter of minutes, the other Marauders would be joining him. The Gryffindor was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn't notice the dark-haired figure watching him from a shadowed corner or hear the whispered _"Impedimenta."_ Without warning, Sirius suddenly found himself flat on the floor, unable to move.

Snape approached him, wand drawn, smiling as if there was no happier sight than to see Sirius petrified on the floor in front of him.

"Imagine that," Snape said softly. "The blood traitor alone and helpless with no friends to save him. What shall be the appropriate punishment for all the pain he's caused me?" Snape's eyes were hard as he looked at his enemy. He kicked the Marauder forcefully, making Sirius glare at Snape with all his might. Snape slashed his wand through the air and Sirius felt a sharp pain on his left cheek. Something warm began trickling down the side of his face.

"Not so brave now, are you?" Snape bent down next to Sirius. "Now what shall be the price of your release? Care to negotiate?" He waved his wand and Sirius found himself able to speak. He simply glared at Snape.

"Negotiate with _you_? Never! I have nothing you want anyway."

"Oh, I think you do. Information." Snape's eyes gleamed. "What are you and you band of troublemakers up to each month? Where do you go?"

"Nowhere." Sirius spat. "What makes you think we go anywhere?"

Snape slapped Sirius' wounded check so hard that Sirius' vision blacked out for a moment. "Don't lie to me! I've seen Lupin sneak out of Hogwarts and I'm sure the rest of you aren't far behind!"

Sirius felt a flicker of fear course through him. How much did he know? He couldn't know about Moony's secret…but did he suspect?

He saw that Snape wore a satisfied smile and knew that he had seen the uncertainty in his eyes.

"Tell me what you four are up to…or I'll tell the whole school exactly what I know about your precious friend."

Sirius was thinking quickly. If Snape found out that Remus was a werewolf and the rest of them were Animagi, their days at Hogwarts would surely be numbered. Suddenly an idea began to take shape in his mind. There was a way to get out of this – and it would keep Snape from bothering them for the rest of their time here. Now he just had to be convincing enough for Snape to believe it…

He glared at his captor defiantly. "You know nothing! Foul, loathsome, Slytherin that you are – you couldn't figure anything out if it was written out in two easy steps!"

Snape growled and struck him again. "Liar!"

Sirius gasped from the blow, and he wasn't faking that. He continued to glare heroically, but he made sure to let a little fear shine through. Snape saw it. Another cut appeared on Sirius' face.

"Tell me." Snape was whispering now. "Or I'll show you that I can cause much more pain than simple cuts." Snape saw fear shining in his enemy's eyes and knew that he had him. Snape raised his wand. "Since you obviously don't believe me, I think I'll have to demonstrate my talents for you." Just as he opened his mouth to cast the spell, Sirius spoke.

"Stop!" Sirius begged. "I…I believe you…please…I…I'll tell you whatever you want!"

Snape lowered his wand with a smirk. "I always knew you were a coward."

Sirius spoke hesitantly, his voice laced with fear. "We sneak out to Hogsmeade. There's a passageway under the Whomping Willow. If you prod a knot on the side of the tree, it freezes long enough for you to get through."

Snape nodded slowly. That made a lot of sense, really. Hogsmeade was full of places to hide someone like Lupin…He looked at Sirius's frightened face and could barely keep from laughing. "You better hope your story is true, Black. I'll have to check, of course. If it is, I'll return here and set you free, and you'll have nothing worse than an erased memory and a few scratches. If it's not…" he pointed his wand threateningly. "I know how to make people scream, Black. I know so much more than you can imagine." He dragged Sirius into a dark corner, making sure to silence him once more, and deliver another sharp kick. "That charm should hold you for a while. Enjoy your time here." Then he was gone.

Sirius didn't move for several minutes. He had felt the spell staring to wear off near the end of Snape's assault, and knew it was only a matter of minutes before he was free. He expected that in Snape's excitement of capturing him, he hadn't cast the spell as strongly as he should have, thus allowing the spell to wear off faster than normal. As soon as the final effects of the magic disappeared, Sirius was on his feet and running to the Gryffindor tower.

As he burst into the bedroom, James and Peter leapt to their feet.

"Padfoot!" James yelled. "Where were you? Moony went out _ages_ ago! And what happened to your face?"

Sirius grimaced. "Snape."

"Snape." James spat. "I knew he was up to something, I _knew _it! How bad is it?"

"Not terrible." Sirius wiped his cheek with his hand, making a face when it came away smeared with red.

"Alright then." James held out his invisibility cloak. "Let's get going. We're late as it is."

"We have time. Let's just hang out here for a while, shall we?" He grinned at the incredulous looks on his friends' faces. "I've got to tell you something." James gestured for him to continue. "I've solved our Snivellus problem."

Peter looked impressed. James merely looked puzzled. "How?"

"I told him how to get past the Whomping Willow." James looked stunned. Peter gaped at him.

"You…you…_told_ him?" Peter whispered in horror. James just continued to stare at him in shock.

"Yeah. He was bugging me about where we were going each month – had me petrified and everything – so I pretended to be terrified and told him we went to Hogsmeade and how he could get there too. You see, all he has to do is go down the tunnel into the shack. Now, once he gets there, he'll run into Moony, who, of course, will scare poor little Snivelly out of his mind. Moony goes after him, and Snape comes running back to the castle in terror, so scared that he never follows us or wonders what we're up to again." He smiled proudly. "He wouldn't dare after that."

There was nothing but silence in the room.

James suddenly sprang into action, throwing open the bedroom door and drawing the cloak around him.

"James!" Sirius ran after him in disbelief. "Where are you going?"

"To stop Snape!" James leapt down the stairs, nearly tripping over the cloak in his hurry.

Sirius couldn't believe his ears. "What for?"

James turned to face him, only his head visible above the cloak. "If Snape doesn't escape and dies, what happens to Moony?" He threw the cloak over his head and disappeared out the door.

"He's right you know." Peter's voice came from behind Sirius, a mixture of incredulity and disgust. Sirius had never heard Peter speak that way before. "Rem can't control himself – Snape could be killed, and then what? Do you think that he'll be allowed to stay at Hogwarts? Do you know what the _Ministry_ will do to him? You of all people should know how prejudiced wizards can be towards werewolves. He'll end up in Azkaban for murder, or worse."

Sirius felt his throat tighten as the reality of what he had done washed over him. "Worse?" he whispered.

Peter frowned at him. "He could be the one dead. If the Ministry thinks Rem is uncontrollable, what's to stop them from having him executed…like an animal?" Peter's voice had lowered to a whisper. "And what if Snape doesn't die and manages to curse him? Look at what he did to you! He might kill Rem in self-defense!"

Sirius went chalk white. He hadn't thought of that. He hadn't thought about any of those possibilities. All he had been thinking of was how to get rid of Snape. He lowered himself onto the steps and buried his face in his hands. Remus would never speak to him again. That is, if he even lived long enough to hate him. He heard Peter sit down next to him.

"You need to learn to stop and think, Sirius." Peter said gently. "That's your problem – you're too impulsive. Think things through next time."

The two sat on the steps together for the next hour staring at the empty common room, waiting for James to return.

The door to Gryffindor tower swung open and Professor McGonagall strode in. Catching sight of the two boys, the dark-haired witch addressed them sharply.

"Black! Pettigrew! Come down here at once!" The two sprang to their feet, coming to a stand before her with anxious faces. "You're to go to the Headmaster's office immediately! I don't know what you've done this time, but it seems that you'll be lucky to still be here by morning!" She stalked towards the door, the boys trailing meekly behind her.

Professor McGonagall swept them into Dumbledore's office, then planted herself off to the side, glaring at her charges.

Both James and Snape were already seated in front of Dumbledore. Snape turned to glare at them, but James simply sat staring at his hands.

Dumbledore flicked his wand, causing two empty chairs to appear, and motioned for Sirius and Peter to be seated. Sirius sat next to James, casting a sideways glance at his friend, who was refusing to meet his eyes.

A moment of silence elapsed before Dumbledore spoke. "I have waited for all of you to be present before I began this discussion. From what Mr. Snape has already told me, I have gathered that you all were involved in a serious attempt to harm him."

"That's not true," Sirius broke in. "He wasn't supposed to be hurt. And it was my fault, Professor. James and Peter weren't involved at all."

Dumbledore studied him carefully and nodded. "Be that as it may, Mr. Snape has put forth some serious charges against you – all _four_ of you."

"_Four_ of us?" Sirius cried, turning towards a sulking Snape. "Remus wasn't in on this, you idiot! Professor…!"

Dumbledore held up his hands. "Calm down Mr. Black. You will have a chance to tell your story, but as it appears that Mr. Snape was the victim of this incident, I think it prudent that we hear his story first."

Snape smirked at the three Marauders and turned to Dumbledore. "Well, for a long time I'd noticed the four of them sneaking around every month at the full moon. I wanted to know what they were up to, so I followed them around the school. I overheard them talking about the Willow and that touching a knot on the tree would freeze it so they could get to a tunnel underneath…"

"Liar!" Sirius was out of his seat and glaring at Snape. "He attacked me Professor!"

"Calm yourself, Mr. Black." Professor McGonagall said sharply. "Let Mr. Snape speak."

Snape drew himself up proudly and shot Sirius a cocky smile, before turning back to Dumbledore and becoming humble once more. "As I was saying, I decided to try it and see where they were going. If they were up to no good, I was planning on reporting them. I went in, and when I got to the end of the tunnel, I saw something that you should know about." Snape took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Lupin is a werewolf. I saw him finishing his transformation." Snape had difficulty masking the disgust in his voice. "The creature attacked me, Professor. I think his friends knew about Lupin's lycanthropy and the four of them came up with a plot to try and kill me."

"As it happens, Mr. Snape, I am fully aware of Mr. Lupin's condition. In fact," Dumbledore said, ignoring Snape's look of shock. "the whole staff is aware of it. But I thank you for your concern. Now, could you tell me exactly how you escaped?"

At this, Snape fidgeted and mumbled something about "Potter."

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

"Potter." Snape said grudgingly. "Potter was there and he jinxed the werewolf and dragged me out of the tunnel."

"Is this true Mr. Potter?"

James nodded.

"Very well." Dumbledore appeared to ponder this for a second, then motioned to Sirius. "And now, Mr. Black, you may tell your side of the story."

Sirius took a deep breath and began. "I was heading up to Gryffindor tower earlier this evening, and Snape ambushed me and petrified me. He gave me this," he touched the scratches on his cheek, "and threatened to do worse to me, if I didn't tell him what we did every full moon. I was frustrated because he'd been spying on us for months, and I wanted to teach him a lesson. I told him that we went to Hogsmeade through a tunnel under the Whomping Willow, and I told him how to get to it. I didn't mean for him to get hurt, Sir. I just wanted him to be frightened so that he would leave us alone. No one else had planned this, Professor. James, Peter, and Remus didn't know what I'd said. Snape left me petrified, and when the spell wore off, I went up to my room and ran into Peter and James. I told them what had happened, and James ran off after Snape to stop him. He said that Rem could end up being punished for my prank. I didn't even think of that." He paused and brushed his hair away from his face and looked at Dumbledore pleadingly. "I swear, Professor, that's what really happened. It was just a prank. I didn't think."

Dumbledore looked at James and Peter. "Do you both agree with Mr. Black's story?" They nodded. Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged glances, then Dumbledore leaned forward on his desk.

"It appears that Mr. Potter, Mr. Pettigrew, and especially Mr. Lupin were not involved in any way. In fact, Mr. Snape, it seems that Mr. Potter went against his friend to save you."

Snape stood up in anger. "They were trying to kill me! They're liars – all of them!"

"Sit down!" McGonagall ordered. Snape did so, still glowering.

"However," Dumbledore continued as if nothing had happened. "There is the issue of punishment." Sirius looked at his hands, knowing that he was truly in for it. "Mr. Black, it is needless to say that you have several detentions ahead of you, as well as points lost from your house. I will leave it up to Professor McGonagall to decide the specifics. Mr. Potter…"

"Professor?" Sirius interrupted, "You're not going to expel me?"

"No, I am not. I don't believe that you truly meant to cause any harm, but I must impress on you the seriousness of what you have done. Lives could have been lost or ruined tonight, and you would have been responsible. You must learn to think about your actions before you do them. Next time you may not be so lucky."

Sirius nodded, relieved yet guilty, feeling like he was getting off too easily.

"Now, Mr. Potter, Mr. Pettigrew, and Mr. Lupin will not receive punishment, for as I have said, I do not believe that they were involved. In fact, I think Mr. Potter deserves points for his actions. Twenty would be appropriate, I think. Minerva?" Professor McGonagall nodded in agreement. "Mr. Snape, you will lose fifty points for your attack on Mr. Black." He held up his hand as Snape began to protest. "You forget that I happen to be quite adept at discerning lies. Your punishment stands. And now," he sat back in his chair. "There is the issue of Mr. Lupin, who, for obvious reasons, cannot be with us. Mr. Snape, I must forbid you from mentioning this event and what you saw to anyone, do you understand?" Snape nodded sulkily. "And that includes your parents, friends, peers…_anyone_. His condition is a private affair and should not be shouted to the school." He looked at Sirius, who was staring at his hands. "It will be up to you, Mr. Black, to explain this matter to Mr. Lupin."

"No! Please, Professor! Don't make me tell Remus!" A look of horror was on Sirius' face. "I can't do that – he'll hate me! Do we even have to tell him?" Peter and James looked at him with slight sympathy. Neither of them envied his position right now.

"Yes, you have to tell him. I believe it is important for him to know about this event. You have to face up to your mistake, Mr. Black. And don't you think you have a better chance of reconciling with your friend if you willingly admit you were wrong?"

Sirius shook his head in misery. The Marauders were going to be down by one by the time he got through talking. He'd be lucky to still be alive.

Dumbledore looked at him sympathetically. "From what I know of Mr. Lupin, he is a very kind and gentle person. I think he'll understand that you weren't trying to hurt him."

Sirius didn't respond. After a moment, Dumbledore turned back to Snape. "You are free to go. Head straight to your common room, and remember what I told you about keeping this a secret."

Snape kept his face blank and slumped out the door. As soon as the door closed, Dumbledore addressed the Marauders. "Now, what _have_ you three been up to that has made Mr. Snape so suspicious? Knowing you three, he wasn't imagining things." Dumbledore spoke firmly, but there was a slight twinkle in his eye.

None of the boys said anything. If it came out that they were Animagi, Dumbledore would have to expel them for such a breach of the law. Finally, it was Peter who spoke.

"We went out to see Remus, Sir. We'd go awhile before he transformed. We thought it would make it easier for him if he had his friends nearby. We took careful precautions not to get attacked by him. We didn't think there'd be any harm in it."

Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged glances. Professor McGonagall spoke first. "Yet you _have_ been breaking curfew, and that is something I cannot ignore. How long have you been going out there?"

"Just the last four months, Professor." Peter said.

"Very well, you each will have detention once a week with me for the next four weeks. One detention for each month."

"I must forbid each of you from going out with Mr. Lupin." Dumbledore said. "As noble as your intentions are, the risks are too great to allow you to continue doing this. I cannot be responsible for you in this way. Is that understood?" The three nodded, and Dumbledore motioned them towards the door. "Go back to your room and stay there. Professor McGonagall will let you know when you'll be serving detention for your actions."

The Marauders trudged out the door, saying nothing to each other until they were in the privacy of their room.

"You've really done it this time, Sirius." James said, turning down his bedcovers. "Rem's not going to understand why you did this, no matter what Dumbledore thinks."

"I know."

"Do you want us to be there with you when you tell him?" Peter asked sympathetically.

"He doesn't deserve our help!" James snapped.

Sirius glared across the room at his friend. "Nothing happened! No one got hurt! It was a prank! Nothing more!"

"Well it could have been more!" James shot back. "Snape nearly got _killed_! You just. Don't. Get it!"

"Fine! I messed up, ok? But everything turned out alright! So stop blaming me!"

"Enough! Both of you!" Peter stepped to the middle of the floor. "Just calm down! Sirius is right – everything has turned out ok. But James is also right – it was a stupid prank, but I think Sirius knows that. So both of you just shut it!"

James and Sirius stared at the normally compliant Peter in shock. Peter glared at them both with a shocking intensity. "Everything will look better in the morning. We'll go down to see Remus as usual and Sirius can explain the whole thing."

"You're right." James said. "I'm sorry, Padfoot. I was…I was just scared."

Sirius shrugged and climbed into bed, drawing the curtains around his bed. He could hear the others getting into bed, and eventually heard their breathing even out in sleep. Sirius lay awake for a long time, then sat up and reached for the paper and pen he knew would be on the table by his bed. He lit a candle and spent the next hour writing a letter to Remus, explaining the whole thing. After finishing it, he finally dropped off to sleep.

The next day was a Sunday, but Sirius woke up early. He dressed and placed the letter on top of the pile of papers and books his friends would be taking to Remus that morning. He grabbed his bag and his books and slipped out of the tower and out of the castle, heading towards the school grounds, hoping to find a place to think.

James awoke the next morning to find his best friend gone. He hoped that he had gone down to see Remus and that everything would be right between the two by the time he and Peter arrived.

The two Marauders grabbed the books and papers, not noticing the letter on top, and ran down to the Great Hall for breakfast. After eating quickly, they went to the infirmary to see their other friend.

They found Remus half sitting up in bed, staring at the ceiling above him. When he heard them enter, his face crumpled in relief. "Where were you? What happened? Where's Sirius? What went wrong?"

James and Peter looked at each other. "You mean he hasn't been here?" James asked slowly.

"No! Did I hurt him?" Remus looked to be on the verge of hysterics.

"Calm down, Rem. You didn't do anything." James said, coming to sit on the edge of the hospital bed.

"Well, what happened? You weren't there last night! I…I can't remember anything else. The wolf just went wild."

Indeed, Remus was covered in more injuries than ever. He looked at them pleadingly. "I know something went wrong last night. Tell me what it was."

"I think this might explain it." Peter held out a folded sheet of paper. "It was with your homework, and it's written in Sirius' handwriting."

The lycan took the paper with trembling hands, growing more and more afraid of what his friends weren't telling him. He began to read, conscious of the other Marauders' eyes on him. His face grew paler as he read, a growing look of horror on his face.

Remus looked at the others in shock and fear. "Why?" he whispered. "Why did he do this? What's going to happen to me? Snape isn't one to keep his word – what's going to keep him from telling?"

"You're right, Mr. Lupin." Dumbledore's voice came from the door to the infirmary. "Mr. Snape may very well decide to spill the story, which is why that I told Mr. Black to tell you what happened last night." He walked over to the group and looked at the paper in Remus' hand. "I'm sorry that he did not face you himself."

"If Snape tells, what will happen to me?" Remus asked, his voice trembling slightly. James and Peter exchanged glances. They hadn't seen their friend so upset since they'd told him that they knew about his lycanthropy.

Dumbledore sighed and pulled a chair over to Remus' bed. "If he decides to tell, you could be facing charges for attempted murder. Your friends might as well, although I'm afraid they don't have as much to worry about as you do. You see, Mr. Snape or his parents could go so far as to petition to have you imprisoned for life, or," and here Dumbledore seemed truly reluctant to go on, "You could be…permanently taken care of."

"Killed?"

"Possibly. Or given the Dementor's Kiss."

"That's impossible, Professor!" James burst out. "He's underage! The Ministry can't do that!"

"Oh, I'm afraid they can, Mr. Potter. Or have you forgotten how the Ministry views werewolves? They are no more than animals to many. They would have no qualms about ordering an execution in the name of protecting society." Dumbledore's voice had a slightly bitter tone. "It's been known to happen. Many a good witch or wizard has died under false accusations…and they deserved to live more than their accusers did." He looked at the stricken faces of the three boys. "Although, this is only to say what _might_ happen in the worst case. I'd like to believe that Mr. Snape knows what really happened last night, and still has enough of a conscience to keep him from doing such an atrocious thing. I hope his respect for my authority will play a part in this as well. All the same, I preferred that you knew of the possibilities. I have taken the liberty of writing to your parents, Mr. Lupin, to inform them of this event. You'll probably be hearing from them quite soon." The professor smiled at the three and stood. "I'll leave you to yourselves. If you have any questions, I will do all I can to answer them." He patted Remus' shoulder gently. "You're a good boy, Mr. Lupin. I will do all I can to protect you, and I'm sure your friends will do the same." With a swish of his robes, Dumbledore vanished out of the infirmary.

There was silence between the three boys, both Peter and James staring at Remus, who was fingering the letter silently. Finally he crumpled it up and threw it on the floor, falling back on his pillows and staring at the ceiling.

"Rem?" James asked hesitantly.

"I don't want to talk about it, James."

"Do you want us to leave?"

Remus nodded briefly. James and Peter exchanged glances, then rose to leave.

"I'm not mad at either of you." Remus said suddenly. His friends turned from the door. Remus spoke, still looking at the ceiling. "I'm grateful for everything you've done for me. But tell Sirius not to show his face in here. The wolf might kill him."

"Get some rest, Moony." James said. "We'll keep Sirius out of your way." The two left the infirmary, wondering what was going to happen to their little group.


	2. Chapter 2

Sirius spent the day wandering the grounds, even daring to enter the Forbidden Forest. His fear of facing Remus was too great to allow him to return to the castle, even for meals. As soon as the sun settled into the horizon, Sirius finally crept back inside. Another detention wouldn't do him much good.

No one gave him a second glance as he entered the Gryffindor common room. Apparently no one knew about what had happened the night before. Entering his own room, however, was a different story.

Peter and James looked up from their studies as soon as the door opened. Sirius didn't look at them, but went straight to his bed and began unloading his books from his book bag.

"And where have _you_ been?" James had slid off his bed and was facing Sirius with folded arms.

"Out."

"Why didn't you go to the infirmary today? Rem was freaking out when we came! He thought he'd killed you when you didn't come with us."

A guilty look crossed Sirius' face. "I needed some time to think."

"And that was more important than getting things right with one of your best friends?"

Sirius didn't answer. James started to speak again, but caught sight of Peter motioning for him to be quiet. James shook his head in disgust and went back to his bed.

There was silence in the room until Sirius got in bed and pulled his curtains shut. "Listen," Peter began, whispering quietly. "Rem will be back tomorrow. The two of them will make up then."

"I sure hope so." James muttered.

"Of course they will." Peter said confidently. "We're the Marauders. Nothing will break us apart."

James shook his head, a small smile appearing on his face. "I'm glad one of us is confident." The two boys followed Sirius' example, turning off their lights and drawing their curtains shut. The room lay silent for a long time afterwards, each lost in their own thoughts, unable to sleep.

When Remus was released from the infirmary the next morning, he went to breakfast early in order to get some homework done, and hoping to avoid Sirius as well. Once the initial shock of the recent events had lessened, a surge of anger had begun building inside him. He knew that he'd have to confront Sirius eventually, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to control himself when he did.

The Great Hall was empty except for a few students scattered among the tables, and a couple professors at the head table, who were half eating and half keeping an eye on the rest of the hall.

Remus found a place apart from the other students and flipped open his Potions book. Every once in while he glanced around to make sure none of the Marauders had arrived. Finally, once the incoming flow of students grew a little stronger, Remus knew it was time to leave. He fled the hall, hiding himself in the library until it was time for his first class. He dreaded attending classes because all of the Marauders had their classes together that day.

Remus got to Transfiguration early, grabbed a seat near the front of the room, and began to review the day's lesson from his book. He heard his peers come in, chattering loudly and tossing their books on their desks. He didn't look up until James slid into the seat next to him. Peter and Sirius took the desk to his right, across the aisle. Remus studied the arrangement curiously. James and Sirius pretty much always shared a desk. James caught his look and shrugged, looking slightly uncomfortable.

James continued to pair himself with Remus throughout the day and for the next week, while Peter stayed with Sirius. Conversation was awkward between the four, with James and Peter speaking with forced cheerfulness, trying to act normal, and Remus and Sirius barely saying a word to anyone.

Remus grew more and more tense with each passing day, becoming angrier at Sirius for ignoring him and more irritated at his friends' watchful eyes on him. He could sense Peter and James' wariness and concern every time they looked at him, which was often. Sirius, however, never once looked at Remus, growing more withdrawn, as if he could feel his friend's anger.

By the time their last class of the week arrived, Remus was at an exploding point. The four were in Potions class, listening to Professor Slughorn describe the potion they were going to be making that period. Remus was barely listening, willing himself not spring at Sirius and demand answers from him. James poked him in the side, and Remus turned on him with such a fierce look that James flinched.

"He just told us to start with the potion, mate." James said cautiously.

Remus looked embarrassed. "Sorry." He opened his book and pulled the ingredients toward him, forcing his concentration onto the assignment. He was able to lose himself in his work until he happened to glance up and see Sirius watching him. Remus was vaguely aware of a shattering noise and James leaping out of his seat. He broke Sirius' gaze only when Professor Slughorn appeared by his desk.

"Remus, my boy! What happened?"

Remus became conscious of a pain in his left hand and looked down to see the shattered remains of a glass beaker clutched in his bleeding hand.

"I…I don't know Sir."

"It must have been weakened or something and just exploded when we put the liquid in." James suggested.

"That's possible." Slughorn said vaguely. "But what was in it? Nothing too deadly, I hope."

"No Professor, just boiled mandrake juice." James answered. Remus just sat staring at the shards of glass in his hand.

"Very well, very well. You'd better go up to Madam Pomfrey and have that looked at, my boy. Looks like you've cut _and_ burned yourself. Do you need someone to go with you?"

"No, Sir. I'll be fine." Remus rose from his seat, ignoring his classmates' stares.

"Go on then. Don't worry about coming back to class if you don't feel up to it."

"Thank you, Sir." Remus walked out of the classroom, carefully cradling his injured hand with his other.

The sound of running footsteps echoed in the corridor behind him. Peter appeared at his side, carrying the books and supplies he had left behind, looking at him anxiously. "What happened, Rem?"

"Nothing. Just like James said, the beaker must have been faulty or something."

"You broke it, didn't you?"

Remus sighed. "I didn't mean to, alright? It just sort of…happened."

"Yeah, when you were giving Sirius the death look. He didn't mean to hurt you, you know. He just didn't think. That's what he…"

"I know!" Remus snapped. "I'm not mad at him! I'm fine!" He glared so fiercely at his friend that a flicker of fear shone in Peter's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Pete." Remus turned his attention to his wounded hand. "I'm just a little stressed, that's all." The two walked in silence together to the infirmary.

Madam Pomfrey tsked as she looked at Remus' hand. In response to her questioning, Remus simply told her that a beaker exploded, which she seemed to accept. Peter sat quietly by his side until Madam Pomfrey was finished. By that time, Potions had ended, and the two friends headed up to Gryffindor tower.

Remus was furious with himself for losing his grip during Potions. He should know enough to control himself. He continued to silently berate himself, barely noticing when he entered his room. Sirius and James were sitting on Sirius's bed and talking in low tones when he and Peter walked in. The two fell silent almost immediately, a guilty look crossing Sirius' face as he met Remus' glance. He turned away and began to flip through a book.

An uncontrollable fury flared up in Remus as Sirius continued to ignore him. He slammed the door shut, causing it to splinter in several places. His friends were looking at him in alarm. Both James and Sirius were standing now, and Peter had slid his hand in his pocket to draw his wand.

"You." Remus growled, staring at a clearly uncomfortable Sirius. "What. Have. You. Done."

"I…"

"Do you know what could have happened as a result of your stupidity? Do you know the trouble you have gotten me into?"

"Rem, I…"

"Do you want me _dead,_ Black, is that it? You and your pure blood prejudices! Exterminate the werewolf _and_ your worst rival in one blow! I should have guessed I was nothing more to you than a weapon…than something to entertain yourself with every full moon!"

"No!" Now Sirius was angry. "I'm not like that! If you would just listen…"

"I am_ through_ listening!" Remus drew his wand and pointed it at Sirius. "You think I should just forgive you for nearly signing my death warrant. You. Just. Don't. Get it."

All of the Marauders had their wands out now. "Remus," James said in a soothing voice. "Calm down. Sirius has already apologized."

But Remus was beyond controlling himself. He could feel the wolf in him rising up, taking over him in a way he'd only felt during his transformations. Growling, he took a step toward Sirius.

"Rem! Control yourself!" James shouted, moving between the two wizards.

Remus shoved James aside and flew at Sirius. Driving him to the floor, Remus' only thought was to destroy his friend. James broke into their fight, throwing Remus off Sirius. Remus tried again to get at Sirius, but was blocked by James. The wolf in Remus was furious at being thwarted, and knocked James aside, causing him to cry out in pain. In mid leap at Sirius, Remus heard Peter shout something and felt his spell stop him, throwing him into a wall, and causing him to crash to the floor with a sickening thud.

The room was silent except for the ragged breaths of the people in the room. Remus was motionless on the floor, fully conscious, but with his eyes closed. He lay with his face pressed against the rough wooden floor, his mind once again restored to sanity. Fear and horror gripped him as he realized what he had just done. He had given in to the wolf and nearly destroyed one of his best friends. He had _lost control…_

Remus opened his eyes and forced himself to his knees. A yelp of pain escaped him as his head throbbed sharply. He felt a trickle of blood run down the side of his face, but made no move to wipe it away. He sat gasping for breath before he finally looked up to meet his friends' eyes.

Peter stood with his wand pointed at him, face pale. James was kneeling on the floor across the room, his face twisted with pain, one arm clutching his side. Sirius was sitting against a wall with fear on his face and several deep scratches where Remus had managed to hit him.

No one said anything as Remus forced himself to his feet. Peter kept his wand trained on his friend, and Sirius kept staring at him, looking slightly dazed. James attempted to rise as well, but fell back with a cry of pain. When Peter turned to him in concern, Remus took the opportunity to flee. He threw open the door and rushed through the common room, startling his fellow Gryffindors.

Remus ran blindly through the halls, ignoring the surprised looks people gave him. He ran trying to escape the fear and horror building inside him. He ran through passageways and stairwells, running until he could run no more. He found himself in a little used part of Hogwarts, in a small circular room. A single shattered window illuminated the tiny stone room; if Remus looked outside, the window was just level with the ground. A cool breeze blew the dry leaves on the floor, which crackled as he walked to the window and sat under it.

He buried his face in his arms and tried to hold back his tears. No wonder his friends had been keeping such a close eye on him. They had been waiting for something like this to happen. They were right to fear him. He was nothing more than a monster.

The boy lay curled up in the empty room for the rest of the evening and throughout the night, with only the moonlight and his darkened thoughts for company.

As soon as Remus had run out of the room, the rest of the Marauders just looked at each other in shock. Peter knelt by James' side, with Sirius quickly joining him.

"What hurts, James?" Peter asked gently.

"My side," James gasped. "I think I broke something."

"We've got to get you to Madam Pomfrey, mate." Sirius said. "Can you stand?"

"If you help me, I think I'll make it." James nearly fell back with pain when he stood, but with Sirius' help he was able to stay upright. "What about you?" James looked at his friend's torn clothing and bleeding scratches. "You ok?"

"Fine." Sirius shrugged. All of his anger had disappeared. "I think I deserved that."

"If you can take James to the infirmary, I can clean up here." Peter offered, gesturing to the mess they had made during their fight.

"Great." Sirius said. "We'll be back in a bit."

The two Gryffindors made their way slowly to the infirmary, getting plenty of curious looks on their way, especially from the other Gryffindors who had just seen Remus dash through the common room.

Madam Pomfrey threw up her hands as soon as they walked in. "You again? I swear, I've treated more of your little group in the past three days than I have in the last month!" Despite her apparent irritation, she gently led James to a bed and assessed his wounds with concern.

"Two broken ribs." She announced, shaking her head. "I don't suppose you'd care to explain what you've been up to this time, Mr. Potter?"

James shook his head, grinning painfully. "Not really."

Madam Pomfrey just sighed and healed him in a few seconds with her wand. She tried to take care of Sirius' injuries, but he politely refused.

"They're not that bad. I'll just let them heal on their own." He said, waving away her concern.

The two went back to their room once James had had some time to rest. "Why didn't you want to be healed, mate?" James asked curiously. "You could end up with scars."

Sirius looked at him solemnly. "I almost hope they _do_ scar. They'll remind me of how much my stupidity almost cost." He smiled wryly. "I think getting knocked to the floor knocked some sense into my thick head. I've really been selfish haven't I? I've only been thinking of myself and not about how Rem felt. I just hope he'll forgive me."

"I'm sure he will." James said kindly. "But he was wrong to attack you like that."

"Well now we both have something to forgive." Sirius said, smiling wearily.

James and Sirius met Peter in their room, which was once again in order.

"Any sign of Rem?" Peter asked.

The others shook their heads. "I've never seen him lose control like that." James said worriedly. "First the beaker this morning, then attacking Padfoot. He completely lost it!"

"Do you think we should look for him?" Peter asked uncertainly. "If he's still…mental, he might do a lot of harm. Not to mention that Snape could use that as another event against him. Or someone else might guess his secret."

"I think his mind is back." Sirius said slowly. "When he got up from the floor he just looked…horrified. And afraid. Not mental."

"Still." James said. "We'd better see if we can find him. He might need our help."

"Should we tell Dumbledore?" Peter asked as the three headed for the door.

The other two hesitated and look at each other briefly. "No." James said finally. "We don't want to get Rem into any more trouble." The others nodded in agreement, and the three headed out to do their search.

The three tried to search inconspicuously, but it grew harder for them to hide their panic as their search continued to prove fruitless. It was James who suddenly stopped them and pointed out that they had their map. Moaning over their forgetfulness, they rushed back to their room and pulled it out.

James pointed his wand at it and was about to say the password when Peter suddenly stopped them.

"Wait a minute," he said. "What if Rem _wants _to be alone? Maybe he just needs some time to pull himself together."

James and Sirius looked at each other. "We'll just check to make sure he's ok." James decided. The map revealed the tiny dot of Remus Lupin alone in an empty room.

"Well, there he is." James sighed. "He looks ok, I guess."

Sirius looked uncertain. "What if he's not?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine." James answered, a hint of doubt in his voice. "Anyway, he'll be back before curfew tonight. He's never been back late before. And when he comes back," he continued. "We'll give him all the space he needs."

But Remus didn't turn up for curfew. Much to the concern of his friends, he didn't turn up at all that night. The three Marauders sat up waiting for the lycan to return, stopping their vigil only when sleep claimed them.

Sirius woke up the next morning, trying to remember why he was still dressed in his robes. The sight of Remus' still empty bed reminded him.

"Merlin!" he groaned, rolling out of bed. James stirred at his exclamation and blearily peered at his friend as he struggled to put his glasses on.

"Remus back yet?"

"No."

"Merlin!" James echoed his friend's exclamation.

"I'm going after him." Sirius declared, futilely attempting to smooth the wrinkles out of his robes.

James pulled out the map and examined it. "He hasn't moved since last night. Do you think he's ok?" he asked in concern.

"That's what I'm going to find out." Sirius said grimly, taking the map from James.

"Want us to come too?"

Sirius turned back from the door. "No. This is just between the two of us. It's something only we can fix."

James nodded in understanding. "Good luck, mate."

"Thanks." Sirius left Gryffindor tower, examining the map and trying to find out how to reach his friend.

Sirius found himself walking down a spiral staircase in an isolated part of the castle. A small round room faced him at the bottom. A quick glance around showed him his friend curled up underneath a small window.

Sirius bit his lip uncertainly as he watched his sleeping friend. Rem looked so sad, even in his sleep. As Sirius looked at the lycan, he seemed to see the lonely and isolated boy he'd befriended so many years before.

He took a step into the room, his feet crunching on dried leaves. Remus' eyes snapped open and he sprung to his feet in a sort of crouch up against the wall. His eyes widened slightly as he saw Sirius. The two stood looking at each other, then Remus slid down the wall and sat on the cold stone, turning his head away from Sirius.

"Moony?" Sirius walked tentatively toward his friend. Remus didn't answer. Sirius sat down beside him and sighed. "Hey, listen to me for a moment will you?" Remus turned his head a fraction of an inch in Sirius' direction. "I'm sorry. I was an idiot. I should have thought through the possible consequences of telling Snape. I was wrong to avoid you and act like you didn't have a reason to be mad at me. That was cowardly…not at all like the Gryffindor I'm supposed to be." He shoved his dark hair back from his face. "I know that doesn't begin to cover what I did, but it's all I can say. Will you please forgive me? Can we please be friends again?"

Remus shook his head slightly. Sirius' face fell. "I know it may take you a while to trust me again, but…"

"It's not because of you." Remus still didn't face his friend. "It's because of me. Snape was right." Remus said, his hoarse voice so quiet Sirius could barely hear him.

"What do you mean?"

"I am a monster."

"No you're not! You're…"

"I am." Remus finally turned and looked at his friend. His hair was disheveled and had a few leaves caught in it. His brown eyes looked like he had spent half the night in tears. "You saw what happened. I nearly killed you. I hurt James and would have hurt you if Pete hadn't…" he shook his head. "And I would've killed Snape if James hadn't been there. I'm too dangerous to be your friend. It would be best if the Ministry _did_ get a hold of me and…"

"No!" Sirius broke in. "Don't say that! You're not a monster! So you lost control _once_! You had perfectly good reason to be mad. I deserved to get beaten for once."

"You don't understand, do you?" Remus looked at Sirius incredulously. "I nearly _killed_ you. I _wanted _to kill you. The wolf wanted to destroy you, Sirius. How can you say you still want to be my friend?"

Sirius looked at him for a second, then replied, "Well, I nearly got _you_ killed. So I guess we're even." He gave the lycan a small smile. "We've been friends too long to let this come between us. I don't want to go without one of my best friends for the rest of my life. Please forgive me, Rem."

Remus nodded slightly. "If you can ever forgive me."

"Of course. And whatever Snape says, you're not a monster. Remember that, ok Moony?"

Rem smiled slightly. "Thanks, Padfoot. Are James and Peter mad at me?"

"Nope. Just worried."

Remus ran a hand through his hair. "I guess I gave them quite a scare, huh?"

"Yeah. Especially when you didn't show up before curfew last night. That was scarier than werewolf attack."

Remus chuckled softly and leaned his head back against the wall, a slight smile on his face. The two friends sat in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company again.

"I guess we'd better head back to the tower." Sirius said finally. "The others will be waiting for us."

Remus nodded and got to his feet and the two headed back to their room.

Peter and James looked up as the door opened, relief appearing on their faces as their two friends walked in together.

"Glad to see you two made up." James said with a smile.

"Yep." Sirius said with his usual cheerful smile. "Everything is good again."

"Hold on." Remus held up his hand. "James, Peter, I need to ask you to forgive me as well. I let myself lose control the other night, and I could have seriously hurt you. James, I _did_ hurt you, and I'm sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course." James and Peter said in unison.

A smile spread across Remus' face. "Thank you. And thank you for keeping me from killing Snape." he said, turning to James. "If you hadn't been there…" he shrugged.

"I'm just glad I made it there in time." James laughed. "Although it wouldn't have been _terrible_ if I hadn't." He laughed as Remus opened his mouth to protest. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"

The group laughed together, all tension gone for the first time in over a week. Their friendship had withstood the greatest trial so far, but once again, they had come through the fire to find their bonds growing stronger still. As for Remus and Sirius, they knew it might take a while for each to fully heal, but with time, they knew that it wouldn't take long to begin to trust again. They would never fail each other again.


End file.
